Welcome to Week 6.

Student Code of Conduct

Each week I will focus on an aspect of Calliope’s Student Code of Conduct.  This week the focus is on Differentiated and Explicit Teaching.

Calliope State School is a disciplined school environment that provides differentiated teaching to respond to the learning needs of all students. This involves teaching expected behaviours and providing opportunities for students to practise these behaviours. Teachers reinforce expected behaviours, provide feedback and correction, and opportunities for practise.

 Teachers at Calliope State School vary what students are taught, how they are taught and how students can demonstrate what they know as part of this differentiated approach to behaviour. These decisions about differentiation are made in response to data and day-to-day monitoring that indicates the behavioural learning needs of students. This enables our teachers to purposefully plan a variety of ways to engage students; assist them to achieve the expected learning; and to demonstrate their learning. 10

 There are three main layers to differentiation, as illustrated in the diagram below. This model is the same used for academic and pedagogical differentiation.

These three layers map directly to the tiered approach. For example, in the PBL framework, Tier 1 is differentiated and explicit teaching for all students, Tier 2 is focussed teaching for identified students and Tier 3 is intensive teaching for a small number of students. Each layer provides progressively more personalised supports for students.

Artwork by Natalie from 1C

Sad News

It is with great sadness that we inform our community that our school Guidance Officer, Karen Mooney passed away on May the 21st following a heroic battle with cancer. Karen worked as a Guidance Officer in our school from 21 January 1999.

Karen was a vibrant woman who had an excellent understanding of students who had experienced trauma, loss, and difficulties with learning. She will be sadly missed by our school community.

 Parent and Community Code of Conduct

Parents and other visitors to schools support safety by ensuring their communications and conduct at the school and school activities is respectful. 

Approaching other students in the school grounds to discuss concerns with them is not appropriate in any school.  Please refer to the Parent and Community Code of Conduct and request a meeting to discuss any concerns about your child’s education – allowing staff time to prepare and appreciating our time may be limited.

Some reminders of upcoming events from the calendar include –

Week 6, Wednesday, 24 May – National Simultaneous Storytime (The Speedy Sloth)

Week 7 – Reconciliation Week

Week 7 – Sport’s Days

(For more details on these events see information included this newsletter)